My garter got out!

[Dracaena828]

I made a grave mistake when cleaning out her tank earlier this evening and forgot to place the lightfixture that I use as a weight back on Azuli's tank lid. I was out at a movie when I got a frantic call from my mom who was picking up some stuff from my apartment that she had seen my new snake crawling under the futon in my living room. The futon was spread out like a bed and had tons of lumber underneath it for a tortoise tank project, so she couldn't see the snake once it went under. She kept an eye on the bed until I got home, but I don't think she watched it close enough because after carefully removing the wood piece by piece Azuli was not there. My sister and I went over every inch of this place and even moved all the books off my shelves and carefully leaned back each shelf to see if she was hiding in the gap underneath. This snake is no where to be found.... What do I do? Are there any tips to try and catch her, or lure her out of hiding? I have no idea where she could be.
She just shed last night and hasn't eaten for several days so she is quite hungry. I've had snakes escape before, but usually ones with much slower metabolisms, and never a gravid one. This escape worries me much more. Plus I have two ferrets and I am afraid to let them out of their cage until I find her. Please, any suggestions??
Angela

[Stefan-A]

Search the futon, look inside furniture (sofas, beds etc). Look in warm and humid places (bath room, kitchen). Look under clothes, carpets and in shoes. If you have the opportunity, isolate the room where it was last seen as quickly as possible, to make sure it doesn't escape. Put food, water and a hide with a heating mat beneath it somewhere in the house. Spread flour in the doorways and along walls. If it moves around, it will leave tracks and will tell you where it has been.

[Odie]

Dang, check everthing 18 times, lay out some food maybe

[Snaky]

I think everything is said, you should check and recheck every spot where the snake could go.

Put food, water and a hide with a heating mat beneath it somewhere in the house. Spread flour in the doorways and along walls. If it moves around, it will leave tracks and will tell you where it has been.

I know this technique is used often, sometimes with and sometimes without results.

I hope you'll find her.

[Dracaena828]

Hi all~
Many thanks for all the kind replies. I found Azuli at about 4:00 in the morning when I had completely given up for the night. I'd just gone out into the living room to turn out the lights when I saw her come out from under the futon. She saw me and whipped right around and flew back across the room, but I caught her in a corner. It was so late I just went straight to bed, and this morning I woke up very late for work. My apologies for not writing an update sooner I am so relieved.
I have no clue as to where she could have been, we took every inch of this apartment apart. Including removing the futon mattress, all books from every shelf, looking in all shoes, under every appliance, and putting anything that she could get into (including the ferret cage) on top of the futon once we were sure she wasn't there. Sneaky little thing, but she is now safely back in her tank and about to get a nice meal of minnows. My apartment is a bit of a disaster, but that's ok
Angela
P.S. There were some really good suggestions there, maybe we should make a list to put under care sheets? I never would have thought of the flour, that's very clever. I had planned to make a basking spot with a bowl of fish, but it really wouldn't have occurred to me to put a hide next to it. Duh....

[Cazador]

I found Azuli at about 4:00 in the morning when I had completely given up for the night.

Maybe that's the best advise of all... just give up. Then they have a way of turning up right away. Also, thanks for the advise about turning this thread into an article. There are, indeed, some very good suggestions here.



Stefan,
I've started a page in the caresheets about finding lost snakes (http://www.thamnophis.com/caresheets...g_a_Lost_Snake). Since you proposed the most original idea (the flour trick), would you like to summarize this thread into a short article? If you don't have time, please send me a PM, and I'll do it after I return from a 4-day trip on Monday. Cheers,

Rick

[mikm]

Hey Angela ... I am absolutely no good at finding lost snakes but I have read success stories . If you suspect 'under the futon' you might try putting a few plastic bags under there or abouts. The kind of bags you would typically get from a grocery store. The idea being that if the snake slithers near/across/in one of them the bag would make alot of noise hopefully alerting you.

best of luck ...

[adamanteus]

I think other people have said it all Angela. Hope you find her soon. Good luck.

[GarterGuy]

Sorry to hear this, I also haven't had much luck in finding missing snakes (lost 3 Sonora sp. in my apartment that I never found), but the suggestions everyone's made here sound good. Good luck.
Roy

[garterman07]

i hope you find her. i personally never have lost a snake and i never want too but i lost a tarantula once...i lured her out with a fresh mouse traped in a feeder box by here cage, she was missing 3 days and then i found her munching down the feeder mouse. but best of luck mate, put food out in other locations not just one area but multiple areas leave out water dishes like large pans or bowls it could get into because if its like mine it will love water.